Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

By Benjamin Franklin

Page 45

and yet bydegrees led to the point, and brought him into difficulties andcontradictions, that at last he grew ridiculously cautious, and wouldhardly answer me the most common question, without asking first,"_What do you intend to infer from that_?" However, it gave him sohigh an opinion of my abilities in the confuting way, that heseriously proposed my being his colleague in a project he had ofsetting up a new sect. He was to preach the doctrines, and I was toconfound all opponents. When he came to explain with me upon thedoctrines, I found several conundrums which I objected to, unless Imight have my way a little too, and introduce some of mine.

Keimer wore his beard at full length, because somewhere in the Mosaiclaw it is said, "_Thou shalt not mar the corners of thy beard_." Helikewise kept the Seventh day, Sabbath; and these two points wereessentials with him. I dislik'd both; but agreed to admit them uponcondition of his adopting the doctrine of using no animal food. "Idoubt," said he, "my constitution will not bear that." I assur'd himit would, and that he would be the better for it. He was usually agreat glutton, and I promised myself some diversion in half starvinghim. He agreed to try the practice, if I would keep him company. I didso, and we held it for three months. We had our victuals dress'd, andbrought to us regularly by a woman in the neighborhood, who had fromme a list of forty dishes, to be prepar'd for us at different times,in all which there was neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, and the whimsuited me the better at this time from the cheapness of it, notcosting us above eighteenpence sterling each per week. I have sincekept several Lents most strictly, leaving the common diet for that,and that for the common, abruptly, without the least inconvenience, sothat I think there is little in the advice of making those changes byeasy gradations. I went on pleasantly, but poor Keimer sufferedgrievously, tired of the project, long'd for the flesh-pots of Egypt,and order'd a roast pig. He invited me and two women friends to dinewith him; but, it being brought too soon upon table, he could notresist the temptation, and ate the whole before we came.

I had made some courtship during this time to Miss Read. I had a greatrespect and affection for her, and had some reason to believe she hadthe

Text Comparison with The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 3 [of 3]

Nevertheless we unfortunately find, that the proprietaries of this
province, regardless of this sacred fundamental of our rights and
liberties, have so abridged and restricted their late and present
_governor's_ discretion in matters of legislation, by their illegal,
impracticable, and unconstitutional instructions and prohibitions;
that no bill for granting aids and supplies to our most gracious
sovereign (be it ever so reasonable, expedient, and necessary for
the defence of this his majesty's colony, and safety of his people)
unless it be agreeable thereto, can meet with his approbation: by
means whereof the many considerable sums of money which have been
offered for those purposes, by the assemblies of this province (ever
anxious to maintain his honour and rights,) have been rejected; to
the great encouragement of his majesty's enemies, and the imminent
danger of the loss of this colony.

We therefore
shall not need to be told by our colonies, that if we leave Canada,
however circumscribed, to the French, "we have done nothing[30];" we
shall soon be made sensible _ourselves_ of this truth, and to our
cost.

his assent to the
taxation of their estates; in the _same manner_ that the estates
of other persons are to be taxed; and also _to confirm_, for the
public use, the several squares formerly _claimed_ by the city.

In
the same manner have a few nail-makers, and still a smaller body of
steel-makers (perhaps there are not half a dozen of these in England)
prevailed totally to forbid by an act of parliament the erecting of
slitting-mills, or steel furnaces in America; that the Americans may
be obliged to take all their nails for their buildings, and steel for
their tools, from these artificers, under the same disadvantages.

"I find that this clause, 'privately got into an act, for the benefit
of Captain Cole, to the vast loss of the nation,' is foisted into the
3d Anne, chapter 5th, intitled, 'an act for granting to her majesty
a further subsidy on wines and merchandizes imported,' with which
it has no more connection, than with 34th Edward I.

And the Divine Being seems to have manifested his approbation of
the mutual forbearance and kindness with which the different sects
treat each other, by the remarkable prosperity with which he has been
pleased to favour the whole country.